NCOP Ignores Public Submissions on Abortion Amendment Act (2007)

The Christian Action Network believes the rubber stamping of the Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill by the National Council of Provinces has yet again made a farce of the public hearings and wasted tax payers’ money.

The NCOP committees have again ignored the concerns and suggestions for improvements to the bill made by members of the public, particularly the emphasis that more informative counseling be given to women seeking abortions. The request by Doctors for Life and many others that the right to conscientious objection by medical practitioners be clearly spelt out in the Act, has also been ignored

At most of the hearings the overwhelming majority of submissions were against abortion altogether. This again is a reflection of the hearings held before the principal TOP Act in 1996, where over 80% of the submissions were pro-life.

The ACDP has now succeeded in pressurising the National Assembly to have public hearings on the bill. We pray that clauses will be included in the bill which will limit and stop some abortions.

Should the ANC again decide to force a block vote on their MPs, (as they did with the Termination of Pregnancy and Civil Unions Bills) when the Health Portfolio Committee votes on this bill, they will further demonstrate that they are not interested in democracy nor do they effectively represent the views of the people who voted for them.